CT finding of mild emphysema in never-smoker

Return to previous page

  • 2/10/2024
  • 1740 Views

Question:

EeroPevsner
EeroPevsner 1 year ago

I am a 51 yo who has never smoked and has vigilantly avoided second-hand smoke because of lifelong hypersensitive lungs, mild asthma, frequent bronchitis when younger, and close family history of nonsmokers getting lung cancer and brochiectasis. (Lost a nonsmoking parent to lung cancer, others have had lung cancer too). After a bout with moderate COVID (after vax and boosters) that led to months of coughing and SOB, my dr ran tests, and high d-dimer caused her to do a lung CT to check for a pulmonary embolism. No PE but the scan showed mild centrilobular emphysema. I was shocked because of my almost nonexistent exposure to smoke. PFT was normal. I’m on Symbicort and still occasionally get SOB. I do not have alpha-1. Is it possible for the emphysema finding to be a mistake or a benign finding that may never meaningfully progress? Other than the hypersensitive lungs and the family history of other lung diseases I have no major risk factors for emphysema.

CT finding of mild emphysema in never-smoker

EeroPevsner
EeroPevsner 1 year ago
Add an Answer

Answers

Medical Advice

It is not our intention to serve as a substitute for medical advice and any content posted should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. We make every effort to support our members, our medical professionals cannot and will not provide a diagnosis or suggest a specific medication; those decisions should be left to your personal medical team. While we encourage individuals to share their personal experiences with COPD, please consult a physician before making changes to your own COPD management plan.